SHENZHEN rail authorities will advance construction work on Metro Line 16 in an effort to relieve pressure on the crowded Longhua Line and congestion at Meilin Checkpoint.

The project will start in 2015 in the third phase of Metro projects, rail construction officials said Saturday.

Line 16 will start in the Futian Free Trade Zone and end in Pinghu in Longgang District. It will have 26 stations and run nearly 40 kilometers through Futian’s CBD, Meilin, Bantian, and Huawei New City. The line will play an important role in industrial development in central Shenzhen.

Line 16 will be the only line covering Bantian and Pinghu and is expected to relieve commuting difficulties for residents of Meilin, Bantian and Pinghu.

Construction of third-phase rail projects including work on future lines 7, 9 and 11 will be fully developed in 2013. The projects will cause traffic disruptions and road closures in Bao’an, Nanshan, Futian and Luohu districts.

The section of Binhai Boulevard in Xiasha has closed eastbound lanes for construction of Xiasha Station on Metro Line 7. Vehicles have been diverted to the other side of the road, which has been split in half. The project contractor for Line 7 said the road closure will last for about 26 months.

Additionally, construction of Ludancun Station on Metro Line 9 will cause partial closures for the next two years on the viaduct linking Binhe Boulevard and Bao’an Road South.

When the third phase of Metro work is completed in 2016, the city’s total rail length will reach 350 kilometers and the network will carry 38 percent of passengers using local public transportation.